Wednesday, September 25, 2019
Welcome to another edition of RV Daily Tips. Here you’ll find helpful RV-related and living tips from the pros, travel advice, a handy website of the day, tips on our favorite RVing-related products and, of course, a good laugh. Thanks for joining us. We appreciate you. Please tell your friends about us.
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Today’s thought
“Everybody thinks of changing humanity and nobody thinks of changing himself.” —Leo Tolstoy
Need an excuse to celebrate? Today is National One-Hit Wonder Day.
Tip of the Day
Things to check out when checking out
Submitted by reader Bill Forrest: “I recommend you have somebody behind you when you pull out to see that you don’t trash the neighbors awnings and/or leave anything you may need at the next stop…. I have a large collection of things people forgot at their campsite. Items were left underneath where the RV was parked, on the table and elsewhere and included pressure reducers, hoses, hose shut off valves, hose stubs for filling fresh water tanks with shutoff valves, awning hooks, table covers and clamps, rugs, wheel chalks, tow bar covers, a jack handle, garbage, and once even a dog (we caught the owners).”
Dead RV battery issue leaves owner in the dark
Chris Dougherty, a certified RV technician, received a letter from a reader while he was serving as RVtravel.com’s technical editor regarding dead house batteries. The RVer made sure the power switch for the batteries was off when he stored the coach, but within a week or so the batteries were depleted. He couldn’t find anything left on to cause this, and asked how to troubleshoot the problem. Read Chris’ reply.
Double refrigerator bars ensure nothing moves while driving
It’s happened to most RVers – you open the fridge (even slowly) after a day of driving and a heavy jar falls on your toe – “Ouch!” Never have that happen again with these easy-to-install spring-loaded refrigerator bars. They’re also useful in cupboards and closets. Order for a good price.
Reader poll
Did you buy a lemon RV? Here’s more about RV lemons and lawyers who will represent you if you need help.
Ah, the reality…
Well, this is the most realistic and hilarious mug we’ve seen in a while… We think everyone in our RV Horror Stories Facebook group needs this. What do you think? Order one here and make someone laugh.
Quick Tip
See really big trees up close and personal
Anyone who has never seen a Redwood tree is always amazed at the first sight of one. A great place to see a Giant Sequoia is in Big Trees State Park in the Central California foothills of the Sierra. The campground is beautiful, set in one of the groves with a trail that passes by one amazing tree after another. You will never forget the experience.
For less than $20 this could save your life. Millions sold. Click.
Random RV Thought
Treat your campground neighbors as you would want to be treated. Don’t play your music so loud that they are forced to listen to it. They may not share your love of Conway Twitty. Would you want to listen to their music? Always be considerate.
Like books? So do we! That’s why we’ve compiled our favorite books about RVing – we’ve made it easy for you! Click here to see the books we recommend for your RV travels.
Website of the day
A store for Winnebago owners
Do you own an RV made by Winnebago Industries? Chances are excellent you’ll need parts from time to time. Well, you are in luck! Here’s a store that sells only parts for Winnebago products. Is that cool or what?
Free State Visitor Guides
Always make sure you carry the new 2020 Rand McNally Road Atlas with you. Read more about it here.
Popular articles you may have missed at RVtravel.com
• Is this the most beat-up, junky motorhome in America?
• Why so many RVs are junk (video).
• Do RV manufacturers “lie with statistics”?
#857-1
Essential equipment for RVers!
Camco TastePURE Water Filter with Flexible Hose Protector
This best-selling product reduces bad taste, odor, chlorine and sediment in drinking water with a 100-micron fiber filter. Use it at your campsite to keep sediment out of your RV water tank and improve the taste and smell of your drinking water. Many RVers consider this essential equipment. Learn more or order at a big discount.
Trivia
Many roadside rest areas along popular Washington Interstates offer motorists free coffee (at least that’s what it’s called). Look for “Free Coffee” signs at rest area entrances. By the way, stays of up to eight hours are allowed in the state’s rest areas. So grab a little shut-eye if the coffee doesn’t keep you wide-eyed.
Leave here with a laugh
A fellow walked into a bank in New York City asking for a loan for $4,000 dollars. “Before we lend you the money we are going to need some kind of security,” the bank teller told the man. “No problem” said the man. “Here are the keys to my car. You’ll see it, it’s a black Porsche parked in the back of the parking lot.”
A few weeks later the man returned to pay off his loan. While he was paying it, along with the interest of $11 dollars, the manager came over, “Sir, we are very happy to have your business, but if you don’t mind me asking, after you left we looked into you and found out that you are a millionaire. Why would you need to borrow $4,000 dollars?” “Well,” the fellow stated, “it’s quite simple. Where else can I park my car for three weeks in New York for $11 dollars?”
Today’s Daily Deals at Amazon.com
Best-selling RV products and Accessories at Amazon.com. UPDATED HOURLY.
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RV Daily Tips Staff
Editor and Publisher: Chuck Woodbury. Managing editor: Diane McGovern. Senior editor: Emily Woodbury. Marketing director: Jessica Sarvis. Financial affairs director: Gail Meyring. IT wrangler: Kim Christiansen.
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Everything in this newsletter is true to the best of our knowledge. But we occasionally get something wrong. We’re just human! So don’t go spending $10,000 on something we said was good simply because we said so, or fixing something according to what we suggested (check with your own technician first). Maybe we made a mistake. Tips and/or comments in this newsletter are those of the authors and may not reflect the views of RVtravel.com or this newsletter.
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This newsletter is copyright 2019 by RVtravel.com
I hot spot net flex and prime to our television when camping. Half the time there is nothing to watch on local television. Although we did find a true life crime show one morning thru local television. That shot thru the morning and had new knowledge on a crime we never knew about. I love hot spotting.
In the article “RV Manufacturers lie with statistics”, the question is asked, do they lie. The answer is yes, I’m skeptical of any pitch using a lot of stats. As we learned in Stats 101, the same statistics can be re-worked and used to support both sides of an argument. Which brings up the question, why use them in the first place? quick answer, “snow job”.
And don’t go around back of your R.V. and smoke a cigar. My smoke alarm doesn’t like it! Nor do I.
The leave with a laugh is a good one. Winnebago was good to put all the parts resources into a web site for ease of finding things. I used to have to order parts through a dealer- I’m glad to say now that they’ll mail them directly to owners- nice change.
Calaveras Big Trees State Park is a wonderful place, but take your mosquito repellant….
Washington Rest Stop in Federal Way have become no more than a homeless camp. I’ll never forget my first stop there on the way to the airport. Every parking spot taken except one 15-minute spot, but where are all the people? All tucked away, cozy, in their cars with blankets over the windows, except for the one guy in his barefoot in the bathroom. Ewwww. Yes there was coffee.
While traveling when stopping, before exiting your Campsite hands down the best thing to find problems or prevent missing something is doing “The Final Walk Around”. It’s cheap & easy and usually rewarding !
When I read articles about a salesman selling a Travel trailer that is way beyond the tow capacity of the pick up truck I go crazy. Just like when I was watching on TV….when I had Comcast… that clown on an episode of Tiny House telling a newbie woman, who has never even driven a pick up truck, that she could tow that Tiny House that weighs over 10,000 pounds very easily with any pick up truck. I was shocked when he said that. That guy should have been jailed!
Where are the laws??? This is another issue that the RV industry should tighten up on making sure the sales people know what they are talking about and stop the lies just for a sale.
We’re not big television fans. We like a good movie or documentary during the week. Between Netflix and Youtube, we have all the entertainment we need. News is live on YouTube along with just about any show you might be interested in including movies.
Cable always left me clicking from channel to channel. Now I choose what I want to watch when I want to watch it.
The cup is cute. But, not $20.00 worth of cute 🙁
In the article “RV manufacturers lie with statistics” they appear to have left out a very important number, the GCWR (Gross Combined Weight Rating). This is an important number for those who tow with their motor homes or for their tow vehicles, if pulling a trailer or fifth wheel. The article touches on hitch weight, and mentions a 4000 pound vehicle but doesn’t mention how it affects the GCWR. This is the weight value calculated, by the manufacturer, that you can safely tow for your motor home/tow vehicle, to stop effectively with the motor home/tow vehicles braking system. Just because you have a 5000 pound hitch, doesn’t mean you can tow 5000 pounds. The GCWR has to be calculated along with the GVWR so you don’t exceed weight capacities. When loading up your motor home/tow vehicle, it is easy to be under your GVWR but exceed your GCWR, if you overload the towed vehicle. Insurance companies pay a lot of attention to the GCWR when processing a claim too. If I am way off base with this, or if I have forgotten something, please let me know. Thanks.
I agree.Many buy a huge toy hauler fifth wheel and try pulling it with a SRW pickup not designed to do the job.RV salesman don’t care,they want MONEY.
RV sales people got their training at the used car lot down the street! Lol
When we were looking for our 5th wheel, the salesman (Windish RV in Longmont CO) wanted to know what we were going to pull it with. He said if we didn’t have the right truck, he wouldn’t sell us the RV. I made sure I had the right truck BEFORE I bought the 5th wheel, and I bought it from them!
The 5th wheel, not the truck.
Bought the truck before I even went RV shopping so I could tow just about anything I wanted. Freedom!
And don’t sit outside with your fancy outside TV blaring six feet from your neighbor’s open window. And don’t walk thru your neighbor’s site.
How very appropriate.
Respect for the neighbors.
Camping in a campground in NE Oregon last year, no campfires. Not safe due to extremely dry conditions. It is not a camping trip without a fire so we have a closed loop CD of a campfire that we put into our outside RV. We sat in front of it and chatted then noticed the folks from the next campsite sitting at the edge of their site looking at the fire so we invited them over. Before long we had about 20 people sitting around looking at the fire. All invited after watching from the edge of the site.
What?! No s’mores? 😥 Well, I guess a CD of a campfire is better than none at all — as attested to by your guests viewing your “campfire.” —Diane at RVtravel.com